1. Keep it consistent throughout your story!
Verb Tense
Keep it consistent throughout your story!

2. Examples:
Written well: I ambled into the house and looked in the kitchen; he was nowhere to be found.
Not well written: I ambled into the house and look in the kitchen; he is nowhere to be found.
Written well: I saw the spider, and I jerked my hand away.
Not well written: I see the spider, and I jerked my hand away.

3. Your turn Practice: From Active Verb list, LA folder
Choose any three active verbs.
On your paper, write a three-sentence paragraph using the three active verbs you chose, one per sentence.
When you’re done, underline all the verbs in your sentences (was, is etc)– make sure they all match the active voice!

4. My example
I assess the situation in every difficult and fearful instance. I determine the area is full of spiders and they need to extracted. I construct an exit plan for myself while the insect is alive in the room.

5. Finally…. Copy the following paragraph onto your paper.
Underline all the verbs. 8 total.
Edit to ensure that verb tense matches.
She was eating quickly, and I watch her. She chokes and I ran to get my phone. I dialed 911 and she turns blue. A man began the Heimlich maneuver; she is saved!

6. Finally…. Copy the following paragraph onto your paper.
Underline all the verbs. 8 total
Edit to ensure that verb tense matches.
She was eating quickly, and I watched her. She choked and I ran to get my phone. I dialed 911 and she turned blue. A man began the Heimlich maneuver; she was saved!

7. Should your verb tense match?
The horse galloped.
The horse gallops.
The horse will gallop.

8. Why it’s important
Verbs are different from most other parts of speech because they change their form. Verbs must match the PERSON or subject of the sentence and the time of the action or state of being. We learned about person in the first lesson on verbs. The time part of the form a verb takes is called its TENSE.

9. Present- the paint falls Future- the paint will fall
Three main verb tenses
Past- the paint fell
Present- the paint falls
Future- the paint will fall

10. Present Tense
Verbs in sentences about things that are happening now, continually, or regularly are in the PRESENT TENSE.
Example – Pick 2 verbs from list and write 2 sentences for each verb in present tense. Follow pattern below: I watch videos after school. I run in the park. Mary watches videos after school. Mary runs in the park.

11. Present Perfect Tense
A verb is in the present perfect tense when it expresses action which began in the past but continues or is completed in the present. To form the present perfect tense, you will add HAS or HAVE to the past participle. Pick two different verbs from list and practice the present perfect tense.
Example…
She has screamed at her friends many times but they have ignored it.

12. Past tense
Verbs in sentences about an action or existence that already happened are in the PAST TENSE. Verbs known as regular verbs have “ed” endings in the past tense. A verb changes to indicate past tense
Mary walked her dog yesterday
Johnny jumped up and down in the gym
We won our game.
Pick 2 different verbs from list and use them
in the past tense.

13. Past Perfect Tense
A verb is in the past perfect tense when it expresses action that began in the past and was completed in the past. To form the past perfect tense, add had to the past participle.
Example: Pick another verb from list and write a sentence in the past perfect tense.
Then, last Friday at the Pizza Hut, they had eaten more than their share of the pizza, when she called them “greedy pigs.”

14. Future Tense
Verbs in sentences about action/existence that will happen are future tense verbs. They often start with the helping verb “will.” Pick two different verbs from list write a sentence for each in future tense.
She will be late for class.
My mom will make me eat my dinner.
Susie will run home after school to make it to her piano lesson.

15. Future Perfect Tense
A verb is in the future perfect tense when it expresses action or existence which will begin in the future and will be completed by a specific time in the future. To form the future perfect tense, add shall have or will have to the past participle.
Example: Pick two brand new verbs to practice future perfect tense.
By next Friday, she will have forgotten the
pizza, but they will have remembered the
name calling.

16. Progressive Tense
The progressive tense uses the present participle form of “to be” (remember that to be verbs are from the helping verb song) . It is the “to be” verb (infinitive) + present participle.
Example: Practice progressive below:
To grow= I am growing To hate = hating
To yell= He was yelling To drive = driving
To eat= We were eating To shop = shopping

17. Progressive Present/Past Future
PRESENT PROGRESSIVE
PAST
PROGRESSIVE
FUTURE
To watch
am watching
is watching
are watching
was watching
were watching
will be watching
shall be watching
To eat
am eating
is eating
are eating
was eating
were eating
will be eating
shall be eating

18. So, what’s the point?
In all your writing your verb tenses must match. IF they don’t your writing will seem choppy and not fluent. Decide when you embark on a new piece of writing if you will tell the story from the present, past, or future perspective.

19. Let’s practice and make these verbs all agree in the present tense
Let’s practice and make these verbs all agree in the present tense! Re write paragraph correctly.
The dog saw the cat, and he will bark. Down the driveway he runs and jumped on the cat’s back. The cat howled and slapped at the dog. Poor old dog! He had gotten a big scratch on his nose and will race back home.

20. Correct yours
The dog saw the cat, and he barked. Down the driveway he runs and jumps on the cat’s back. The cat howls and slaps at the dog. Poor old dog! He gets a big scratch on his nose and is racing back home.

21. Let’s practice and make these verbs all agree in the past tense
Let’s practice and make these verbs all agree in the past tense! Re write paragraph correctly.
Samantha will come home last night and is watching her favorite show on tv. When she was coming home she will see that her tv is actually broken. She cry. She was so upset that she would call her best friend Tiffany to see if she goed to her house to watch tv instead.

22. Correct yours
Samantha came home last night and watched her favorite show on TV. When she came home she saw that her TV was actually broken. She cried. She was so upset that she called her best friend Tiffany to see if she could go to her house to watch TV instead.

23. Those NAUGHTY “BE” VERBS
How to get rid of them…
WHY? Because they are
BORING!

24. What are they?
Is Are
Am Was
Were Be
Been Being

25. GET RID OF THEM The sun was hot.
The sun, hot as fire, burned into my scalp.
Your turn to practice.
I’ve been gone a long time.

26. The pool was refreshing.
The water embraced me, cooling my core after a hot day on the job.
Your turn to practice.
The cat was hungry.

27. Every effort was made to make us comfortable.
Comfort seemed our host’s primary concern.
Your turn to practice.
I am being picked to play
first in the game.

28. The deer was standing in my sight.
The deer stood, stone still, unaware of my barrel pointed at his heart.
Your turn to practice.
The car was going down the hill fast.

29. I am slight for my age.
Compared to my classmates, I appear smaller and younger.
Your turn to practice.
I was shorter than my teammate.

30. We were riding down
the bumpy road.
The bumpy road jolted every one of our bones, as we headed to our destination.
Your turn to practice.
Are you going to ride
In my car to the movie?

31. Try a sentence of your own!
The soccer players are playing on the field.
Rewrite without the
To be verb.

32. Try Another! I like being in 8th grade. Rewrite without the
To be verb.

33. One More!
Waterskiing is fun.
Rewrite without the
To be verb.